Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-08-19

sell 1t he is laughed out OF Wall street, or the |
is ordered by the surrogate TO |
wind up the whole affair. The estate was sup |
posed at the mans death to be worth $780,
900, but after the Indebtedness had been met
and the bills of the doctor, and the under
taker, and the tombstoue-cutter have been
paid there is nstkipg left. That means the
children are to Cau1 home from school and
go TO work. That lneans the complete hard
ship Of the wife, turned out with nothing but
q needle to fight the great battle of the world.
Tear down the lambrequins, close the piano,
rip up the Administer, sell out the wardrobe
and let the mother take child in each hand
and trudge out into the desert Of the world.
A life insurance would have hindered all that.
But, says some one: 81 am man OF small
means and can't afford to pay the premiums"
That is sometimes lawful and genuine ex-
cuse and there Is no answer to 1t; but IN nine
cases out of ten, when man says that, he
smokes up In cigars, and drinks down in wine,
and expends in Injuries enough money to have
paid the premium on life insurance policy
which would have kept bis family from beg
gary when he is dead. A man ought TO put
himself down on the strictest economy until
he can meet this Christian necessity. You
have no right to the Injuries Of life until
you have made such provision. admire
what was said by Rev. DR.. Guthrie, thegreat
Scottish preacher. A few years before his
death he stood in public meeting and de-
clared 'sWhen | came to Edinburgh the
people sometimes laughed at my blue stock
ings and at my cotton umbrella, and they
said looked Ikea common ploughman, and
they derided me because lived in house for
which paid f35 rent Q year, and oftentimes
walked when | would have been very glad
to have cab, but, gentlemen, | did all that
because wanted TO pay the premium on q
life ipssrs=ee that would keep my family COM
Portable II should de-" That take to be
thv ,ighryxpresslon of'an nohess, fazcirgent.
Christian man.
The utter indifference Of many people on
this important subject accounts for much OF
the crime and the pauperism of this day.
Who are these children sweeping the cross
ings with broken broom and begging Of you
a penny as you go by2 Who are these lost
souls gliding under the gaslght in thin
shawls All they are the victims Of want
in many Of the cases the forecast of parents
and grandparents might have prohibited it.
God only knows how they struggled to do
right. They prayed until the tears froze on
their cheeks, they sewed on the sack until the
breaking Of the day but they could not get
enough money to pay the rent; they could
not get enough money TO decently clothe
themselves; and one day in that wretched
home the angel of purity and the angel of
crime fought great fight between the empty
bread tray and the 6reless hearth, and the
black winged angel shrieked aha | have
won the day" Says some man: al believe
what you say ii is right and Christian, and
mean some time to attend to this matter"
My friend, you are going to lose the comfort
Of your household in the same way the sim
NO uaau hv linn inn |
all around me the destitute and suffering
families of parents who meant some day TO
attend to this Christian duty. During the
process of adjournment the man gets his feet
wet, then comes a chill and delirum and the
doleful shake of the DOCTORS head, and the
obsequies. II there be any thing more pitia-
BILE than a woman delicately brought up, and
on her marriage day by an indulgeut father
given 10 a man to whom she is the chief JOY
and pride Of life until the moment of his
death, and then that same woman going out
with helpless children al her back to struggle
for bread in a world where brawny muscle
and rugged soul are necessary say, If
there be anything more pitiable than that,
do not know what it is. And yet there are
good women who are Indifferent In regard to
their husbands duty in this respect; and
there are those positively hostile, as though a
life insurance subjected man to some fatal
ity There is in Brooklyn to-day very poor
woman keeping small candy shop who We
hemently opposed the insurance of her hus-
bands life, and when application had been
made for policy Of $4,000 she frustrated
1t. She would never have document in the
house that implied it was possible for her hus-
band ever 10 die. One day, 10 quick revolu-
ton OF machinery, his life was instantly
dashed out. What is the sequel? She is,
with annoying tug, making the half OF mis-
cradle living. Her two children have been
taken away from her in order that they may
be clothed and schooled, and her life is to be
O prolonged hardship. U, man before 4S
hoars have passed away appear at the desk OF
sons Of our great life insurance companies,
have the stethescope of the physician put to
your heart and lungs, and by the seal OF some
honest company decree that your children
shall not be subjected TO the humiliation OF
financial struggle in the days OF your demise.
But must ask the men engaged in life in
surance business whether they feel the i'm
portance of their trust, and charge them /
must that they need divine grace TO help them
in their work. In this day, when there are
so many rivalries in your line OF business,
you will be tempted 10 oversta,e the amount
of assets and the extent of the surplus, and
you will be tempted to abuse the franchise OF
the company, and make up the deficits of Que
year by adding some OF the receipts of an
other year; and you will be tempted to send
out mean, anonymous circulars derogatory 10
other companies, forgetful OF the TACT that
anonymous communication means only two
things: The cowardice OF the author, and
the inefhciency OF the police in allowing such
a thing to be dated anywhere save inside of
penitentiary. Under the mighty pressure
many have gone down and you will follow
them IL you have too much confidence in
yourself and do not appeal to the Lord tor
positive help. But if any Of you belong 10
that miscreant class of people who, without
any financial ability, organize themselves into
what they call life insurance company, with
pretended capital Of $500, 900 or $500, 900,
then vote yourself into the lucrative position
and then take all the pr emiums yourself aud
then al the approach OF the state superiniend-
cut drop all into the hands Of those life in
surance underwriters whose business il is to
gather up the remains Of defunct organiza-
lions and bury them In their own vault-then,
! say, you had better get out of the business
and disgorge the widows houses you have
swallowed. But my word Is TO oil those who
are legitimately engaged in the business: You
ought 10 be better than other men, not only
because of the responsibilities that rest upon
you, but because the truth is ever confront
ing you that your stay on earth is uncertain,
aud your life matter of few days or years
Do not those blsck-edged letters that come
into your Office make you think? Does not
the DOCTORS certificate on the death claim
give you ihrillP Your periodicals., your ad-
refreshments, and even the lthog.aphy of
your policies warn you that you are mortal.
According 10 your own showing the chances
that you will die this year are at least two
per cent Are you prepared for the tremen-
dous exigency2 The most condemned man
In the Judgment Day will be the unprepared
life insu rance man, for the simple reason that
his whole business was connected with human
exit, and he cannot say II did not think. :"
His whole business was to think on that one
thing. o my brother, get insured for eter-
nifty In consideration Of what Christ has
done in your behalf, have the indenture this
day made out, signed aud sealed with the red
seal OF the cross.
But have words OF encouragement and
comfort for those Of my hearers who are en-
gagged in the FIRE insurance business. You
are ordained by God to stand between us and
the most raging element Of nature. We are
indebted to you for what the National Board
of Underwriters and the Convention of Chiefs
of the Fire Department have effected through
your suggestions, and through your encour-